Thomas Frost (Radical)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Frost was an English
radical writer, journalist, printer and Chartist
.
in Surrey
(now part of Greater London
) on 16 December 1821, the son of a tailor
who had read William Cobbett
's Political Register
and took part in the agitation to secure the Reform Act 1832
. Apprenticed to a printer (his cousin Cornelius Chapman) in Norwood
, London
, Thomas started his own printing firm in the same town after Chapman's business became bankrupt.
From 1859 Frost was a leader writer for the Liverpool
Albion weekly newspaper, on foreign politics and social questions. The newspaper maintained a political viewpoint independent of the main political parties until 1872, when a new proprietor, a member of the Conservative Party, recast the paper as a morning daily. Frost's terms of employment were now changed so that he was only paid for articles that were published; he was contracted to provide two articles per week, but many were not published, being politically incompatible. His income falling by one-third he left the Albion.
Frost subsequently settled in Barnsley
, South Yorkshire
, and worked as a reporter for the Barnsley Times and the Barnsley Chronicle. He wrote a number of books, mostly by his own admission "potboilers". He estimated his annual income from journalism and other literary undertakings to have been less than £200 per year. He died in 1908.
Frost claimed it was not until he read the poetry of Mary Shelley
that he learned of "the connexion between the influence of circumstances in the formation of character and the new organization which Owen
desired to give society". Frost became an active Chartist
and Owenite and although he believed in revolution he stopped short of taking part in a revolutionary conspiracy in order to avoid arrest. He above all desired independence and wrote that "the assumption by Mr. Gladstone
of the leadership of the Liberal party
in the House of Commons seemed to promise the inauguration of a new era".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
radical writer, journalist, printer and Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
.
Early years
Thomas Frost was born in CroydonCroydon
Croydon is a town in South London, England, located within the London Borough of Croydon to which it gives its name. It is situated south of Charing Cross...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
(now part of Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
) on 16 December 1821, the son of a tailor
Tailor
A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...
who had read William Cobbett
William Cobbett
William Cobbett was an English pamphleteer, farmer and journalist, who was born in Farnham, Surrey. He believed that reforming Parliament and abolishing the rotten boroughs would help to end the poverty of farm labourers, and he attacked the borough-mongers, sinecurists and "tax-eaters" relentlessly...
's Political Register
Political Register
The Political Register was a weekly newspaper founded by William Cobbett in 1802 and ceased publication in 1835, the year of his death.Originally propounding Tory views, and costing a shilling, Cobbett changed his editorial line to embrace radicalism, such as advocating widening the suffrage...
and took part in the agitation to secure the Reform Act 1832
Reform Act 1832
The Representation of the People Act 1832 was an Act of Parliament that introduced wide-ranging changes to the electoral system of England and Wales...
. Apprenticed to a printer (his cousin Cornelius Chapman) in Norwood
South Norwood
South Norwood is an urban town and in south London, England, in the London Borough of Croydon. It is a suburban development 7.8 miles south-east of Charing Cross. South Norwood is an electoral with a resident population in 2001 of just over 14,000...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Thomas started his own printing firm in the same town after Chapman's business became bankrupt.
Career
In 1846 he took over the publication of John Goodwyn Barmby's Communist Chronicle, a monthly paper which had been discontinued for financial reasons. Frost revived the Chronicle as a weekly publication and reduced the price from 3d. to 1d. with Barmby retaining editorial control. Differences between Barmby and Frost on their aims caused publication to cease. Frost then started a short-lived Communist Journal. From 1847 to 1848 he was associated with the Fraternal Democrats.From 1859 Frost was a leader writer for the Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
Albion weekly newspaper, on foreign politics and social questions. The newspaper maintained a political viewpoint independent of the main political parties until 1872, when a new proprietor, a member of the Conservative Party, recast the paper as a morning daily. Frost's terms of employment were now changed so that he was only paid for articles that were published; he was contracted to provide two articles per week, but many were not published, being politically incompatible. His income falling by one-third he left the Albion.
Frost subsequently settled in Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, and worked as a reporter for the Barnsley Times and the Barnsley Chronicle. He wrote a number of books, mostly by his own admission "potboilers". He estimated his annual income from journalism and other literary undertakings to have been less than £200 per year. He died in 1908.
Frost claimed it was not until he read the poetry of Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
that he learned of "the connexion between the influence of circumstances in the formation of character and the new organization which Owen
Robert Owen
Robert Owen was a Welsh social reformer and one of the founders of utopian socialism and the cooperative movement.Owen's philosophy was based on three intellectual pillars:...
desired to give society". Frost became an active Chartist
Chartism
Chartism was a movement for political and social reform in the United Kingdom during the mid-19th century, between 1838 and 1859. It takes its name from the People's Charter of 1838. Chartism was possibly the first mass working class labour movement in the world...
and Owenite and although he believed in revolution he stopped short of taking part in a revolutionary conspiracy in order to avoid arrest. He above all desired independence and wrote that "the assumption by Mr. Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
of the leadership of the Liberal party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
in the House of Commons seemed to promise the inauguration of a new era".
Works
- Forty Years' Recollections: Literary and Political London: S. Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1880.
- Reminiscences of a Country Journalist London: Ward, 1886.
Further reading
- Peter Gurney, "Working-class Writers and the Art of Escapology in Victorian England: The Case of Thomas Frost." Journal of British Studies, vol. 45, no. 1 (Jan 2006), pp. 51–71.